The sad news arrived on Wednesday that Daniel Johnston, an outsider folk musician who created incredible art throughout his life despite a debilitating mental illness, died of natural causes at his home in Houston, Texas. “Daniel was a singer, songwriter, an artist, and a friend to all,” he family said …
Read More »Performing With Missy Elliott, 17 Years Later
THE CALL Her text woke me up. “Not sure if any of these numbers work? It’s HiHat pls call me.” I haven’t finished reading the last word and my fingers have already forwarded a screenshot to alert my team. We rearrange Saturday’s travel to Washington D.C., postpone all meetings, and …
Read More »Inside Beyoncé's Bold Bet to Get Americans to Listen to African Music
Yemi Alade had a cold. Last month, the Nigerian star, who recently passed the one-million-subscribers mark on YouTube, flew to Los Angeles to work on a project by Beyoncé. But when Alade landed, she discovered she no longer had a singing voice. “I couldn’t understand what had happened to me,” …
Read More »Jack White on the Raconteurs' Return, 'Old Town Road' and His Friendship With Dylan
After making 2018’s wild Boarding House Reach, Jack White decided it was time to take a little pressure off himself. So he re-formed the Raconteurs — the band he put together in 2006, just before the dissolution of the White Stripes, with fellow Detroit musicians including co-frontman Brendan Benson. Their …
Read More »Taylor Swift: Scooter Braun's Acquisition of Back Catalog 'My Worst Case Scenario'
Taylor Swift turned to Tumblr Sunday to express how she felt disappointed and betrayed that her Big Machine catalog had been sold to a company owned by music manager Scooter Braun. “This is my worst case scenario,” Swift wrote. On Sunday, Big Machine Label Group, Swift’s former label and the …
Read More »Bernie Sanders on Democratic Socialism, Elizabeth Warren and the Media
If it seems like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is fighting for his political life amid a series of negative articles, it might be because he always is. The Sanders campaign is grounded in a principle that an absence of controversy would be the real indication of trouble. It’s not a …
Read More »Dr. John Knew the End Was Near. He Recorded One Final Album
In December of last year, guitarist Shane Theriot got into his car and drove to Mac Rebennack’s New Orleans house with a completed version of the record he had just produced for the Hall of Fame pianist, singer-songwriter and producer ubiquitously known as Dr. John. Rebennack’s health was declining by …
Read More »We've Hit a New Low in Campaign Hit Pieces
Last week, the Daily Beast ran this headline: “Tulsi Gabbard’s Campaign Is Being Boosted by Putin Apologists” That was followed by the sub headline: “The Hawaii congresswoman is quickly becoming the top candidate for Democrats who think the Russian leader is misunderstood.” The Gabbard campaign has received 75,000 individual donations. …
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